The Sky and the Sea
by NocturneBlack
Summary: A collection of ten Maiko one-shots, based on one word writing prompts. Majority will be Zuko-centric.
1. Burn

Zuko was tired of meetings. In his first few years as Fire Lord he had been eager and enthusiastic, relishing the chance to meet with officials from the three nations as he and Aang put the world back together. Now, after nearly eight years as Fire Lord and an unprecedented era of peace across the globe, with the matter of the colonies settled, Zuko primarily spoke to officials about economic trade and petty land disputes.

He walked through the palace halls, sweat clinging to his skin beneath his robes, entrenched in the summer's heat. He was headed for the courtyard, to partake in an intense bout of fire bending. He was greeted by a young man there, his long hair pulled into a top knot and his robes already discarded, chest bare as he shot bursts of flame from his clenched fists. He stopped as soon as he saw the Fire Lord.

"Fire Lord Zuko," he greeted with a deep bow.

"There's no need for titles now, Tycho," Zuko replied, smiling down at the nineteen year old son of palace servants. Tycho grinned back.

Zuko was still relatively young, and the only thing he missed about his time spent away from home, banished, was the thrill of a fight. Tycho was an exceptional fire bender, and Zuko had first requested meeting with him nearly a year ago, when he happened to see him training outside of his family's home on the palace grounds.

The two fought, their movements quick and skilled from years of dedication and practice. Zuko felt exhilarated as the fire coursed through him and out of his hands and feet. He moved with agility, dodging Tycho's blasts as if it were second nature. He felt powerful. It was a raw power, unlike the power he had as the leader of a nation. His power as a bender was wild and innate, given to him by the sun and the spirits and the gods themselves. After a particularly powerful blast from his fist, Tycho was knocked backward, stumbling on a cobblestone and landing on his backside. Zuko jogged to him and helped him up, the two men laughing at Tycho's clumsy fall. They bow to one another as they conclude their session, the sun now making its way steadily down toward the horizon.

Zuko bade his friend goodbye as he passed through the large palace doors, and turned to look at the sun, now a sliver of orange on the expanse of the horizon. He thought of Mai. If the sun gave him his power and energy during the day, then it was his wife, Mai, who gave it to him at night. Save for the brief period of time spent together in the morning, they often did not see each other until nightfall. He treasured the sight of the sun dipping below the horizon and the first appearance of stars, knowing that it meant he would be in the warmth of her embrace soon.

The nights when he trained were always different. Zuko made his way through the palace corridors with quick strides. He could feel the heat of his blood in his veins, could feel the fire coursing through him. A slew of unchaste thoughts filled his mind as his feet hit the smooth sound, pounding out their rhythm as he walked. _Mai, Mai, Mai_.

He pushed open the heavy wooden door that led to their bedroom. She was sitting on their bed, her long pale legs folded beneath her. Her eyes flashed when they landed on him.

"What took you do long?" she spoke, her voice low. The heat inside of him increased.

"Training. With Tycho," he answered, moving toward their bed as he took in the sight of her. She looked wild. Her hair was half undone, falling out of the tightly pinned buns that adorned her head. Her robe was loose and threatened to fall off of her pale shoulders, exposing the top of her chest bindings. Zuko noticed the scattering of knives on the small bedside table and he grinned.

"Are you excited to see me?" he asked, crawling onto the bed. She didn't answer, but the corners of her lips turned upward ever so slightly. Most people would not have noticed, but Zuko always caught it. She began to take off her robe.

"Stop," he commanded. "I want to do that myself."

Mai was smiling now, a glimmer in her dark eyes. A long training session of bending always guaranteed that Zuko would be quite…impassioned.

"Is that an order, Fire Lord?" she asked, a teasing lilt in her voice as her hands began to undo the knotted belt at her waist. Zuko pounced on her, pushing her onto her back and pinning her arms above her head. He looked in to her eyes and saw her arousal. His body was pushed against hers, and he was sure she could feel his arousal pushing against her thigh. His mouth went to the soft skin of her neck, his tongue darting out to taste her. She tried wiggling out from his grasp but his grip on her only tightened. She felt the familiar heat coiling between her legs as Zuko began tearing the clothes from her body.

When she was down to just her underwear and chest bindings, he reached for one of her knives on the bedside table.

"Hold still," he said as he used the knife to cut open the layers of wrapped cloth that covered her breasts, feeling much too impatient to wait for her to unwrap them. When Mai was completely naked he sat back for a moment, taking the time to admire her form. Years ago Mai would have blushed, feeling vulnerable as his eyes moved over her, but now she stared back.

Never taking his eyes off of her, Zuko quickly undressed until at last he was as naked as his wife. He lied down next to her and they faced one another, his hand moving her leg so that it was wrapped around his waist. His lips went to hers, seeking the warmth of her mouth and tongue as his hands roamed over her body, clutching her backside and drawing her closer. She could feel his length pressing against her sex and she bit back a moan. His entire body was always so _warm _after a session of fire bending. His hands continued to glide over her pale, smooth skin. His palms grew warmer with each passing second, the fire inside of his blood ignited by his arousal.

The heat of his hands only made Mai desire him more. She teasingly nibbled at his earlobe, earning her a low moan from her husband.

"Zuko," she breathed in his ear, her voice low and filled with need.

Suddenly he moved so that he was on top of her, pushing her in to the mattress once more. His mouth went to her breasts as he slipped his hand between her legs. She writhed beneath him and moaned her satisfaction. After a few moments she pushed his hand away, her eyes wild and aggressive.

"Need you…inside me…now," she panted.

He slipped inside her effortlessly, and again began to feel the fire in his veins burn white hot. He breathed slowly, his eyes boring in to hers as he moved inside her with slow, restrained thrusts. He legs wrapped around his hips, making him groan. The tension was unbearable.

Mai laced her fingers through his hair, pulling tight as her breathing became heavier.

"Faster," she breathed. It was all the encouragement he needed. He clutched her hips and thrust in to her, not thinking about whether or not he was hurting her.

He cried out her name as his release finally came, spilling inside her as her own climax followed. He collapsed beside her on the bed, clutching her to his body possessively.

"Did I burn you?" he asked, attempting to catch his breath. She smirked.

"No. Just left a few red marks on my hips. They'll be gone by morning."

Zuko smiled and buried his face in her hair as he began to drift off to sleep.


	2. Gold

He closes his eyes and sees the face of his mother. It is pale and lovely, and somewhat similar to his. At times it is difficult to remember minute details, such as the exact hue of her eyes or exactly how long her hair was. It is as though his memories of her have become fuzzy around the edges, blurred by time. He kept a small portrait of her on his ship, a promise to find her as soon as this was all over. But now there is no ship and no portrait of his mother. Now there is nothing but the twin swords lying beside him. There is no Uncle to keep his spirits up. Zuko is alone.

He opens his eyes and thinks about how hard the ground is against his back. Sleep will not come easy.

He closes his eyes and sees the face of his father. It is much like his, yet with harsher angles and dips and valleys that tell of age. A face hardened by war. A face contorted with rage and disgust, focused at his son. A face crowned with a small gold diadem, shaped like a flame. Zuko remembers when he, too, wore a gold diadem in his top knot. _Crown prince_. A title taken from him. A title that awaited him in the Fire Nation with the promise of restored honor.

Zuko misses fire. Stuck in the Earth Kingdom, he is unable to bend. He feels as though the fire inside of him will eventually come out in uncontrollable bursts.

He opens his eyes and stares at the stars above him, burning with their own fires, millions and millions of miles away. Looking at the stars only serves to remind him that he is utterly alone, so he shuts his eyes once more, thinking that maybe sleep will come. It doesn't.

Instead he sees a pair of grey eyes, flecked with gold and framed by thick black bangs. It is both easy and hard to think about Mai. While it is easy to think fondly of their time spent together, before his life became such a mess, it is hard to consider what could have been.

_You'd probably be engaged to her by now, _he thinks, and he is touched by the sadness of lost years and time spent away from home.

He remembers the way her lips felt on his. On the night of his thirteenth birthday he kissed her, her body pressed against an apple tree, and he felt so adult. She always appeared so delicate, as if she were made of porcelain, but as she responded to his kiss all he could think about was how warm she was, how soft the skin of her cheek in his hand was, and how he could hear his heart beating in his ears.

He wonders if she is still quiet, if she still throws knives, if she appears hardened at all by the war or by the loss of him from her life. He reaches up and presses his fingertips to the marred flesh of his scar.

_What would she think if she saw you now?_

He pushes the thought from his mind and turns over on his side to find sleep.


	3. Years

**A/N: This chapter takes place after Zuko betrays Iroh and joins Azula in Ba Sing Se. I've always wondered what Mai would think about the numerous changes Zuko underwent during his banishment, and the thoughts running through her mind when she finally sees him again. This is the first multi chaptered, drabble-type fic I've taken on, so ANY feedback would be GREATLY appreciated!**

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Three years.

It has been three years since she last saw him. She can clearly picture his face, young and pale and handsome. She can see perfectly his golden brown eyes, surrounded by dark lashes.

_One of the eyes is ruined now, _she thinks. _No, not ruined. Just damaged, _she corrects.

Immediately after his banishment Azula had told her how ugly and sad Zuko looked as he departed with their uncle. As always, Mai took everything the Crown Princess said with a grain of salt.

As she crosses her bedroom (the one she inhabits while she stays at the Earth Kingdom palace) she thinks of how her own appearance has changed in the last three years. She gazes in to the floor length mirror across from her bed and takes in her reflection. She is taller. He face is thinner. Her hair is longer. His hips are marginally fuller. She has breasts that are actually apparent beneath her clothing. She suppresses a smile.

When she finally sees him, after three long, insufferable years, the first thing she can think is that he does not look ugly at all. He looks hardened.

_Of course he does, you idiot. He's been traveling the world on a ship for the past three years, _she reminds herself.

The angles of his face are sharper, more defined. He is much taller. Even beneath his green and brown tunic she can tell that his shoulders are broader, that the muscles of his arms and chest are more defined. His skin is a few shades darker, tanned by his time spent at sea and roaming the land. His hair is so very short. She wonders what it would feel like to run her fingers through it.

And then there is the marker which signifies the most drastic change in him, both internal and external: his scar. Mai would describe it as brutal and angry, but it certainly isn't ugly. The skin is red and taught, and she wonders what it, too, would feel like beneath her fingers.

_It makes his face more interesting to look at, _she thinks, though she realizes this sounds crude.

She makes eye contact with him once, but quickly looks down when she sees Azula looking at her. She is startled by the amount of sadness (and longing) evident in his gaze.

Later, as Mai is about to go to sleep, there is a soft knock on her door.

"I'm trying to sleep Ty Lee," she calls. The other girl would surely want to try to talk to her about Zuko.

"It's not Ty Lee," speaks a deep, hushed voice.

She practically leaps from the bed as if it were on fire. She opens the door and sees Zuko standing there, and quickly realizes she doesn't know what to say to him.  
"Can I come in?" he asks.

She nods. He walks in to her room, taking in the deep green and gold décor.

Suddenly he turns to face her. Her heart is hammering against her rib cage.

"So you're coming with us? When we go back to the Fire—," she asks. He nods once, cutting her off.

"Look, Mai…" he begins. He runs a hand through his hair. He is staring at the ground, as if he is too shy to meet her eyes.

"I— um— listen, I don't really know how I should say this, or— or what I should do… Well, not _do_, but just how—," he is positively flustered by this point. He stops speaking all together and looks up at her face, sighing loudly.

"I've missed you," he says simply, and the amount of truth and determination in his voice makes her smile.

"I've missed you, too," she says softly, then chuckles.

"What?" he asks, sounding worried. "What's funny?"

"It's just nice to know some things haven't changed. You're still a huge dweeb who fumbles over his words."

He laughs with her.

"Yeah, well, you know I've never been good with words."

Their eyes meet once more. Suddenly there is a shift in the air around them, and the look that he gives her is so intense and full of unbridled longing that the smile falls from her lips. His eyes bore in to hers, causing her breath to hitch in her throat. His eyes say more than his words ever could. He steps closer to her so that their bodies are nearly touching. She can tell that he is looking at her lips, so she tilts her head up toward him, an invitation and a challenge.

He crashes his lips in to hers, one hand moving to cup her face while the other goes to her slim waist. It's like they're thirteen again and in the palace gardens, although now his lips and hands are resolute and no longer tentative. Her hands move to his hair, feeling the dark locks brush against her skin, and she feels as though she is melting in to him.

_I forgot how _warm _he is._

His lips urge hers open, his tongue eager against hers. His arms are wrapping around her, pulling her body closer to his. The heat of his kiss causes her to pull back, trying to catch her breath. He loosens his arms around her. She looks in to his eyes and again sees that sadness.

Wordlessly she takes his hand and leads him to her bed.

"You can stay with me tonight," she says, her voice barely above a whisper. She knows that he can't really stay there for the entire night; Azula would surely realize something was amiss. But for now, as they lie atop her bed with his arms wrapped around her slender form, nothing matters but the two of them. There is no sadness and pain in his eyes; there is no doubt in her mind about his convictions or where his loyalties lie; there is nothing but Zuko and Mai and a bed in the Earth Kingdom palace.


	4. Cold

Zuko stood on the deck of the small Fire Nation vessel, headed to the Southern Water Tribe. His mind turned to the last time a Fire Nation ship had docked in the icy bays of the South. In those days the snow had turned black with the soot of warships, acting as a dreadful promise of death and destruction. Zuko was eager to meet with the Tribe elders, to establish trust and the promise of peace of prosperity. The war had ended two years ago, but multiple issues with the Fire Nation colonies within the Earth Kingdom had prevented Zuko from making this trip. Now, with things in the Earth Kingdom finally calming down, he and Mai were able to make the trip.

He sighed deeply as he thought of Mai, shut away in her cabin below deck. She and Zuko had been married for a little under a year, and Zuko couldn't recall a time things had felt as uncertain between the two of them as they did now. The past month and a half had been one of the busiest times in his entire career as Fire Lord, with both the Economic Reconstruction and the annual Spring Festival happening simultaneously in the Fire Nation. Many nights he had not returned to their bedroom until well into the night. With Mai heavily involved with the planning of the festival and Zuko stuck in all day meeting relating to the economic future of the nation, the couple had grown tense, laden with stress and often too tired to make time for each other. A cold distance settled between them, unshaken by the time spent together in their bed.

This distance was exacerbated by the fact that during this busy time Mai and Zuko had also decided to start trying to have a baby. So far they had been unsuccessful. Though the healers told them it was perfectly normal for it to take more than a month, and that they should keep trying rather than worry, the frustration of being so far unable to conceive had permeated the mindset of Zuko as well as Mai. Sex had become routine, with none of the passion and fire it had held not so long ago.

Zuko stared out in to the icy waters, knowing they were getting close. He moved below deck to tell Mai that they would be docking soon. He stood outside of the door of their cabin, feeling anxious.

_She's your wife, pull it together, _he mentally scolded himself.

He knocked on the door, something he would not have bothered with before. Now, though, he knew that Mai would be quick to anger if he walked in unannounced while she wanted privacy.

"It's me," he called through the door.

"Come in," was her reply.

He entered. Mai was lying on the bed, propped against the pillows and reading a scroll.

"Hey. We're going to be docking soon. You'll probably want to put on your parka and join me up on the deck," he said quietly.

She stood from the bed, pulled on her heavy parka and gathered up their bags. He took one from her and led her up to the deck.

"It's freezing," she grumbled as the bitter wind whipped around her. He merely nodded, not knowing what to say to her.

Minutes later their ship docked and Mai and Zuko were on snowy land. They were immediately greeted by Sokka and Suki, the pair bounding toward them to lavish them with hugs. After the war the couple had bounced around from place to place, living in the Earth Kingdom one month and the Fire Nation the next. For the time being they had settled in Sokka's homeland, staying with Hakoda.

"It's good to see you guys in Water Tribe gear," Sokka laughed, referring to the fur-lined parkas that Mai and Zuko wore. Zuko smiled back at him weakly.

"C'mon, we'll show you where you'll be staying for the next few days," Sokka said, leading them toward the village of small huts. Mai and Zuko unpacked their things in the hut that had been set up for them. Thick furs adorned the walls and covered the modest bed for two. Mai turned to him.

"I know you're meeting with the elders today, so I'm going to go find Suki to catch up," she stated, not quite meeting his eyes.

"Sure," he agreed. She left the hut.

Zuko spent the rest of the day at a meeting with Water Tribe elders and leaders, both Hakoda and Sokka present. The talks were overwhelmingly positive, and Zuko couldn't help but feel his spirits lift. In the evening he and Mai had dinner with Sokka and Suki. The couples easily made small talk, enjoying the company as well as the food. It was easy to pretend that everything was fine between the two of them. Although it was unlike Fire Nation cuisine, Zuko was grateful to have something to eat at the end of a long day of travel and political duties. When their meal was finished they bid Sokka and Suki goodnight, returning to their hut.

Mai stripped off her parka and quickly changed in to her night clothes, her back to Zuko. He stood there watching her, wanting to reach out and touch her and feeling like a fool for being unable to do so. He looked away and changed in to his own night clothes. The couple crawled beneath the covers, Mai keeping a palpable distance between them.

Zuko sighed loudly. Mai either did not hear him or ignored him. He could tell she was shivering. He also knew that she knew he could warm her up in seconds with the heat that radiated off his skin. Though he needed the furs just as much as she did, it was easy to increase the warmth of his skin with his bending. Mai did not have that advantage. The fact that she chose to be cold rather than get close to him made his heart ache.

_What is happening to us? _he thought sadly before drifting off to sleep.

The next day played out much like the first, with Zuko meeting with leaders from the Southern as well as the Northern Water Tribe, who had traveled to the South to meet with him, thus sparing him another long journey. Once again they ate with Sokka and Suki, this time with Hakoda joining them. After dinner they drudged back to their hut, the sun having set hours ago. A blue glow lit the night, reflecting off of the vast sheets of white they walked through. They would be leaving for the Fire Nation in the morning.

They lied in bed once more, and Zuko turned to look at Mai. She was curled up on her side, facing him. The pale orange glow of the single lit candle within the hut illuminated her fine features. She opened her eyes and stared in to his.

"I'm so cold," she said, pulling a fur around her shoulders. Zuko thought she looked beautiful. She looked so delicate at times like these that he often had to remind himself of her strength and power, in knife-throwing and other matters. He longed to reach out and touch her. He was tired of dancing around her, tired of being made to feel as if she wasn't his wife, as if she were a stranger.

"Let me warm you," he said, his voice low and husky. She scooted closer to him. He reached out and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her body flush against his. He breathed in the scent of her hair and sighed contently.

"I've missed you," he said suddenly, struck with honest and raw emotion.

"Then why have you been avoiding me," she accused, her voice muffled against his chest.

He pulled back to stare at her.

"Mai," he began, "I didn't mean… I thought you didn't want me around you. You seemed so distant."

"I was only distant because I— I was afraid you'd leave me," she said, her eyes coated with unshed tears. Zuko was bewildered.

"Why would I leave you? How could you think that?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"I haven't given you a child. When we kept failing and you started spending less and less time with me, I— I didn't know what to think," she admitted.

Zuko kissed her then, communicating the love and pain that his words could not. He pulled her body closer to him and held her, running a hand through her long hair.

"I'm not leaving you," he said, pulling back for air. "I could never leave you, Mai."

He felt her hands move to either side of his face as she returned her lips to his, deepening their kiss. A fire lit in Zuko's chest, ignited by the return of her touch and kindled by the smooth movement of her tongue within his mouth. His hands trailed under her night gown and up the backs of her thighs. She gasped, surprised by the heat of his hands. His lips went to her neck, kissing and nipping as her hands tangled in his hair.

"I'm sorry," she breathed between heavy breaths, but he merely shushed her, letting her know that apologies were no longer needed.

In a matter of moments they were both naked, their skin warmed by the furs and Zuko's fire bending. He took his time with touching her, drawing out every moan and extending their passion. When he entered her it was as if he was returning home, enveloped in the softness of her flesh and the sound of her voice repeating his name. He covered her mouth with his as the crest of their ecstasy swelled and broke, absorbing her cries with his lips.

Afterward they lie beneath the furs, cradled in warmth and each others arms. Zuko looked down at Mai's sleeping face and knew that they would be alright.

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**A/N: I'm pretty happy with the way this one turned out. I feel like Zuko and Mai might be prone to run in to communication problems, and that making up would be easier if done physically rather than with words. Let me know what you think in a review!**


	5. Hands

**A/N: This chapter is more poetry than narrative. The last sentence is from a poem by the brilliant Rumi. Recommended listening: "Your Hand in Mine" by Explosions in the Sky, which I listened to while finishing this up.  
**

**Reviews are always appreciated!**

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He takes her hand in his.

The air is hot and heavy with moisture. The sun makes its way down toward the horizon, to lie upon the sea and melt across the expanse of its waves, to break open and fuse with the cool expanse of blue.

Zuko is the sky that houses the sun, presiding over the vastness of an empire. The sun rises in him and spills from his pores, filling Mai's world with color and light. His colors are displayed on his face with the intensity of the hues that permeate the quiet air of a sunset.

If Zuko is the sky then Mai is the sea— a constant body with secret depths and a loyal heart that does not change. She never falters from her place beside him, never fails to cradle his sorrows, both ephemeral and residual, and holds him with all of her being.

He runs his fingers over hers.

Her fingers are long and slender and remind him of a delicate coastline traced on the surface of a map drawn by a careful hand.

He is the blood of the earth and she is cool stone, warmed by heat and made malleable by flame.

Encasing her hand in his he walks through the sand, his feet nearing the water with every step he takes.

He looks to his side to be sure she is really there: flesh and blood and a beating heart, tethered to his like two ships traveling side by side. She is right by his side and she smiles at him while the light of the setting sun brings out the violet in her black hair and makes him notice the flecks of gold in her eyes.

They stand together on the shore, the tide rushing to greet them and crashing at their feet. She moves closer to him until her shoulder is pressed against his.

It is as if their souls exit their bodies through their feet and dance in the swirling waters of the sea, over sand and through unknown depths and spaces alight with something that is beyond the beauty of this world.

Her face is so close to his, and he is torn between watching the setting sun and watching the resulting colors dance on the smooth plains of her face.

He chooses the latter.

She turns her head to return his gaze, and both choose not to speak.

Their world is too full to talk about.


End file.
